The present invention relates generally to fluid containment systems and, more particularly, to a sump for containing spillage, or the like, in systems storing hazardous fluids and/or chemicals, such as gasoline.
Sumps, in general, are employed in fluid storage systems to contain spillage, or the like, to prevent waste. In the case of hazardous materials, sumps are also used to prevent the escape of these hazardous materials and the possible safety and pollution problems that such escape could create. In gasoline storage systems, in particular, sumps may be used at junction points where spillage of hazardous materials typically occurs. In these sumps, there may or may not exist retrieval systems for the spilled materials. The sumps, however, are usually accessible for draining the material either automatically or manually.
In designing these containment systems, as well as in modernizing old systems, various types of sumps are needed for junction points in the storage plumbing system between the pumps and the storage tanks as well as at the storage filling points. Different systems with different types of hardware require varying sizes of sumps to conform to the needs of a particular system, making standardization of sumps difficult. Developing a standardized or adjustable sump would greatly reduce the costs in designing and modernizing these systems.
Adjustable sumps have been developed and are used in the field of gasoline storage systems, but are inconvenient to use. Sumps presently exist where the housing of the sump is adjustable using sliding and bellows-type connections for adjusting the vertical height of the sump. Also, sumps with score lines on the housings exist for cutting and taping together the sump housing for installment in the system. These systems result in sumps that leak and must be repaired or replaced frequently to avoid escaping hazardous wastes.
In addition to being inconvenient to use and maintain, sumps generally in use at present are rather expensive to manufacture, install and maintain. Further, one sump is generally dedicated to the needs of one particular site, for example, one site may require a substantially watertight sump, while another site may not. In such a case, two separate, specialized sumps must be purchased and installed. This adds to the cost of manufacture due to the added cost of separate tooling and the like, as well as the need for increased inventory reserve. As a consequence, these increased costs translate into increased costs for the consumer.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sump which is simple and cost effective to manufacture. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a sump which may be quickly and cost effectively converted to a water resistant sump or to a watertight sump. Still further, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a sump which is height adjustable. It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide such a sump which allows ease in transportation, handling and assembly.